TSA Screeners Encounter Terrorist At Checkpoint, Not Sure What To Do
TAMPA, FL - Life is pretty simple for a Transportation Security Officer at Tampa International Airport. The work of screening passengers is often tedious -- checking identification cards, reminding travelers to remove shoes, and looking at X-Ray screens for hours. But last Wednesday that all changed for Officer Bob Hammond.
"Every day I come in and have a routine. I usually show up at least 15 minutes late. My supervisor usually chews me out for a bit, but I know it doesn't matter," he says, "Federal means you ain't getting fired."
Hammond sees the typical passengers. "We need to tell them to move quickly, remove the laptops, that sort of thing."
Every once in a while, the routine is mixed up.
"Since we got these new full body scanners, there have been some folks refusing, so that means we do a pat-down. We also try to search what our agency has determined are 'high-risk flyers' -- children, military members in dress uniform, grandmothers in wheelchairs, and Senator Rand Paul."
Despite the…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Duffel Blog to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.